#xkcd No. 3305
Date: 2026-9-30
Title: Ground Effect
Alt text: Runners looking for aerodynamic advantage typically wear sneakers because some fancy dress shoes can create wingtip vortices.
https://xkcd.com/3305/
xkcd
![Description:
Three Cueballs sprint under a dashed height line while two others flail wildly high in the air.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Three Cueballs run along the ground on the right beneath a dashed horizontal line. Arrows mark the distance between the ground and the dashed line. High in the air on the left, two Cueballs tumble out of control.]
Caption: THE "GROUND EFFECT" EXPLAINS WHY SPRINTERS CAN RUN MOST EFFICIENTLY IF THEY STAY WITHIN ROUGHLY ONE BODY LENGTH OF THE SURFACE.](/proxy/post_attachment/1192631/6c693e007e.png "Description:
Three Cueballs sprint under a dashed height line while two others flail wildly high in the air.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Three Cueballs run along the ground on the right beneath a dashed horizontal line. Arrows mark the distance between the ground and the dashed line. High in the air on the left, two Cueballs tumble out of control.]
Caption: THE \"GROUND EFFECT\" EXPLAINS WHY SPRINTERS CAN RUN MOST EFFICIENTLY IF THEY STAY WITHIN ROUGHLY ONE BODY LENGTH OF THE SURFACE.")
#xkcd No. 3302
Date: 2026-9-23
Title: Voyager Instruments
Alt text: Convincing him to turn off the stupid laser show and useless sound system was such a huge ordeal that no one has wanted to do it again.
https://xkcd.com/3302/
#xkcd No. 3304
Date: 2026-9-28
Title: Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
Alt text: "I did briefly visit Venus in August 2025, but I figured out the mistake on my own because it didn't have any moons."
https://xkcd.com/3304/
![Description:
Four panels show a tiny satellite traveling on a dashed-line path past a small drawing of Earth.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Heading]: APRIL 2023
Earth: WE HAVE LIFTOFF! JUICE IS EN ROUTE TO EXPLORE THE ICY MOONS OF JUPITER!
Satellite: WHEEE!
Panel 2:
[Heading]: AUGUST 2024
Satellite: ...SO WHICH PLANET WAS I VISITING AGAIN? I GOT DISTRACTED.
Earth: JUPITER!
Satellite: RIGHT, OK.
Panel 3:
[Heading]: SEPTEMBER 2026
Satellite: IS JUPITER THE ONE WITH ALL THE RINGS? OR...
Earth: NO, THE BIG ONE NEAR IT.
Satellite: GOT IT!
Panel 4:
[Heading]: JANUARY 2029
Satellite: AND WHICH MOONS AM I LOOKING AT?
Earth: OH MY GOD.
[Text at bottom of panel]: NOW I GET WHY WE BUDGETED FOR SO MANY EARTH FLYBYS.](/proxy/post_attachment/1191454/9990ab97fa.png "Description:
Four panels show a tiny satellite traveling on a dashed-line path past a small drawing of Earth.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Heading]: APRIL 2023
Earth: WE HAVE LIFTOFF! JUICE IS EN ROUTE TO EXPLORE THE ICY MOONS OF JUPITER!
Satellite: WHEEE!
Panel 2:
[Heading]: AUGUST 2024
Satellite: ...SO WHICH PLANET WAS I VISITING AGAIN? I GOT DISTRACTED.
Earth: JUPITER!
Satellite: RIGHT, OK.
Panel 3:
[Heading]: SEPTEMBER 2026
Satellite: IS JUPITER THE ONE WITH ALL THE RINGS? OR...
Earth: NO, THE BIG ONE NEAR IT.
Satellite: GOT IT!
Panel 4:
[Heading]: JANUARY 2029
Satellite: AND WHICH MOONS AM I LOOKING AT?
Earth: OH MY GOD.
[Text at bottom of panel]: NOW I GET WHY WE BUDGETED FOR SO MANY EARTH FLYBYS.")
#xkcd No. 3309
Date: 2026-10-9
Title: Dogcatcher
Alt text: People out here catching strays out here catching strays
https://xkcd.com/3309/
#xkcd No. 3307
Date: 2026-10-5
Title: Spectrum Allocation
Alt text: Rumor has it that they're finally auctioning off the zeppelin navigation bands, but everyone is worried that the scary boat captains will express interest.
https://xkcd.com/3307/
![Description:
A tall vertical segmented bar chart with lines pointing to text labels on the left and right sides.
Transcript:
Title: MODERN SPECTRUM ALLOCATION CHART
Panel 1:
[A large chart shows a segmented vertical bar representing the radio spectrum, with lines pointing to various labels on the left and right.]
[Left side labels, top to bottom:]
RADIO (SHOUTING)
RADIO (MUSIC)
RADIO (STATIC)
TV CHANNELS 2, 5, 7-13, 16, 17, AND 28
WKRP IN CINCINNATI
ALL OTHER TV
NUMBERS STATIONS
AMATEUR RADIO
HAM RADIO
BOAT CAPTAINS SAY THEY NEED THIS FOR SOMETHING AND WE DON'T ASK WHAT BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARY
RADIOASTRONOMY
RADIOASTROLOGY
LOFI HIP HOP BEATS TO RELAX/STUDY TO
AMATEUR MILITARY SATELLITES
LEFT OPEN IN CASE ALIENS TRY TO CALL
[Right side labels, top to bottom:]
TV TEST PATTERNS
1G CELLULAR
RESERVED FOR ZEPPELIN NAVIGATION
2G CELLULAR
INTERFERENCE
SPACESHIP BEEPS
CAR DEALERSHIP ADS
WEATHER BALLOONS
"WEATHER BALLOONS"
CHOOSING TEXAS 24/7
THE SECRET RADIO WAVES THAT MAKE PLANES STAY UP
DEFUNCT SATELLITE PHONE COMPANY
ALL MODERN WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE
DEATH RAYS
SECURITY GUARD WALKIE TALKIES
ONE BRAND OF GARAGE DOOR OPENERS WITH A LOT OF POLITICAL PULL](/proxy/post_attachment/1195407/c7c142b807.png "Description:
A tall vertical segmented bar chart with lines pointing to text labels on the left and right sides.
Transcript:
Title: MODERN SPECTRUM ALLOCATION CHART
Panel 1:
[A large chart shows a segmented vertical bar representing the radio spectrum, with lines pointing to various labels on the left and right.]
[Left side labels, top to bottom:]
RADIO (SHOUTING)
RADIO (MUSIC)
RADIO (STATIC)
TV CHANNELS 2, 5, 7-13, 16, 17, AND 28
WKRP IN CINCINNATI
ALL OTHER TV
NUMBERS STATIONS
AMATEUR RADIO
HAM RADIO
BOAT CAPTAINS SAY THEY NEED THIS FOR SOMETHING AND WE DON'T ASK WHAT BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARY
RADIOASTRONOMY
RADIOASTROLOGY
LOFI HIP HOP BEATS TO RELAX/STUDY TO
AMATEUR MILITARY SATELLITES
LEFT OPEN IN CASE ALIENS TRY TO CALL
[Right side labels, top to bottom:]
TV TEST PATTERNS
1G CELLULAR
RESERVED FOR ZEPPELIN NAVIGATION
2G CELLULAR
INTERFERENCE
SPACESHIP BEEPS
CAR DEALERSHIP ADS
WEATHER BALLOONS
\"WEATHER BALLOONS\"
CHOOSING TEXAS 24/7
THE SECRET RADIO WAVES THAT MAKE PLANES STAY UP
DEFUNCT SATELLITE PHONE COMPANY
ALL MODERN WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE
DEATH RAYS
SECURITY GUARD WALKIE TALKIES
ONE BRAND OF GARAGE DOOR OPENERS WITH A LOT OF POLITICAL PULL")
#xkcd No. 3322
Date: 2026-11-9
Title: Dragonfly
Alt text: I'm excited for Dragonfly, because on the list of places in the solar system that I desperately want more pictures from, 'Titan's surface' is right up there at the top with 'Jupiter's atmosphere.'
https://xkcd.com/3322/
![Description:
A single-panel checklist in two columns with two checked boxes and one circled item, plus a caption.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Heading: PLACES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM WHERE HELICOPTERS CAN WORK
[A checklist arranged in two columns of four items each.]
Left column:
[Checked box] EARTH
[Checked box] MARS
[Unchecked box] VENUS
[Unchecked box] TITAN [This entire entry is circled, with the word "SOON!" written at the top right of the circle.]
Right column:
[Unchecked box] JUPITER
[Unchecked box] SATURN
[Unchecked box] URANUS
[Unchecked box] NEPTUNE
Caption below panel:
WHEN DRAGONFLY REACHES TITAN IN 2034, WE'LL GO FROM 25% TO 37% ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM HELICOPTER ACHIEVEMENT CHECKLIST.](/proxy/post_attachment/1217929/8c70c700c4.png "Description:
A single-panel checklist in two columns with two checked boxes and one circled item, plus a caption.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Heading: PLACES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM WHERE HELICOPTERS CAN WORK
[A checklist arranged in two columns of four items each.]
Left column:
[Checked box] EARTH
[Checked box] MARS
[Unchecked box] VENUS
[Unchecked box] TITAN [This entire entry is circled, with the word \"SOON!\" written at the top right of the circle.]
Right column:
[Unchecked box] JUPITER
[Unchecked box] SATURN
[Unchecked box] URANUS
[Unchecked box] NEPTUNE
Caption below panel:
WHEN DRAGONFLY REACHES TITAN IN 2034, WE'LL GO FROM 25% TO 37% ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM HELICOPTER ACHIEVEMENT CHECKLIST.")
#xkcd No. 3308
Date: 2026-10-7
Title: Juice
Alt text: I need to push some updates to the remote sensing instruments, which are there to measure the surface and definitely not do anything else.
https://xkcd.com/3308/
![Description:
Ponytail and Cueball sit at mission control consoles, conversing until Ponytail facepalms.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Ponytail and Cueball sit facing opposite directions at computer consoles. A sign hangs on the wall behind Ponytail.]
Sign: JUICE MISSION CONTROL
Cueball: JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLODER CHECKIN IS COMPLETE. ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL.
Panel 2:
[Ponytail turns her head to look back toward Cueball.]
Ponytail: EXPLORER.
Cueball: WHAT?
Ponytail: JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLORER.
Panel 3:
[Cueball sits silently at his console, staring straight ahead at his screen.]
Panel 4:
[Ponytail leans on her console, resting her face in her hand in dismay. Cueball turns his head slightly back toward her.]
Cueball: CONTROL, EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT I NEED TO SCHEDULE AN URGENT SPACECRAFT UPDATE.
Ponytail: OH NO.](/proxy/post_attachment/1196370/ab9aaefe13.png "Description:
Ponytail and Cueball sit at mission control consoles, conversing until Ponytail facepalms.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Ponytail and Cueball sit facing opposite directions at computer consoles. A sign hangs on the wall behind Ponytail.]
Sign: JUICE MISSION CONTROL
Cueball: JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLODER CHECKIN IS COMPLETE. ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL.
Panel 2:
[Ponytail turns her head to look back toward Cueball.]
Ponytail: EXPLORER.
Cueball: WHAT?
Ponytail: JUPITER ICY MOONS EXPLORER.
Panel 3:
[Cueball sits silently at his console, staring straight ahead at his screen.]
Panel 4:
[Ponytail leans on her console, resting her face in her hand in dismay. Cueball turns his head slightly back toward her.]
Cueball: CONTROL, EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT I NEED TO SCHEDULE AN URGENT SPACECRAFT UPDATE.
Ponytail: OH NO.")